


The Future Has Arrived

by chloebeale



Category: Pitch Perfect (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, F/F, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-06
Updated: 2013-01-05
Packaged: 2017-11-23 20:20:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/626137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chloebeale/pseuds/chloebeale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The discovery of her feelings for Aubrey four years ago sent Beca reeling. She all but ended their friendship, having decided it was for the best. Four years later, a bizarre act of fate brings them together in the city of Los Angeles. Beca, a music producer, is the guest DJ at a local club. Aubrey, a successful lawyer, is a patron of the club. Feeling both frightened and excited at the prospect of reconnecting with her old friend and unrequited love, Beca approaches her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Beca Mitchell wasn’t well known for her warm personality and her romantic tendencies. She wasn’t much for big gestures or commitment. But all that changed for her when she was reunited with someone from her past, someone she thought she’d never see again.   
  
It wasn’t often that life dealt her second chances, and she was going to take advantage of this one. With the emergence of some confusing feelings, she had really fumbled up her friendship with Aubrey, something that had been bothering her for a few years now. She never imagined she’d run into her again, least of all in Los Angeles, California on the opposite side of the country.   
  
Beca was spinning at a popular LA club when she spied her, blonde hair loose at her shoulders, her mouth wide as she laughed and danced with her friends. She kept her eye on the woman, reasoning that it must be a lookalike, because there was no way out of all the places in the world that Aubrey Posen would be at this club right now.   
  
It was definitely her, she discovered when she left the DJ booth for a bathroom break and heard her voice. Beca went to the restroom quickly and washed her hands, staring up at the mirror and giving herself a pep talk.   
  
She wasn’t sure if Aubrey even knew she was the DJ of this event. She only did DJing on the side since her producing career had taken off, and her real name was never announced at these gigs. There was no way Aubrey knew she was there, and if Beca wanted, she could successfully avoid her the rest of the night.   
  
She didn’t want to do that. Drying her hands on her pants and muttering to herself about the uselessness of hand dryers, she stepped back out into the club, her music playing loud over the speakers. Beca marched up to the girl she’d been watching all night and tapped her on the shoulder.   
  
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Aubrey spun around, assuming that Beca was asking her to move out of the way.   
  
When she saw Beca her face lit up and she pulled her into a sudden hug.   
  
“Beca! What are you doing here?”   
  
“Oh, you know, just deejaying,” she shrugged.   
  
“I had no idea you were the DJ! I guess I should’ve recognized your amazing mixes. Chloe told me that you’ve made it, that you’re a big shot music producer now,” Aubrey mentioned their shared friend, having spoken to her about Beca recently.   
  
“Yup, though I wouldn’t say big shot exactly. I saw you from the booth and I just wanted to say hi. I really better get back, this song’s almost over and if there’s a sudden silence I have a feeling my paycheck will be a little light,” Beca explained hurriedly, “but you should come by the booth before you head out. If you want.”   
  
“Yeah, of course, give me a minute. I need to tell my friends where I’m going first,” the blonde smiled and rushed off to her friends on the dance floor.   
  
Smiling to herself, the short young woman pushed herself across the club and returned to her DJ booth, concentrating on her mixing until she saw the door to the booth swing open. Aubrey appeared in the cramped booth, toting two drinks and handing one of them to Beca.   
  
“I don’t normally drink on the job,” she said, but when she saw Aubrey’s face fall, she shrugged, “but what the hell?”   
  
“So what are you doing in LA?” Beca asked absently, offering her friend a seat.   
  
Aubrey sat down and took a sip from her drink before she responded.   
  
“I was offered a job at a law firm here. My father knows a guy at this really great firm here in LA, and he knew how badly I wanted to get out of the area. They talked, I met him, and he was impressed. I got the job offer. So I decided to relocate, start over. What about you?”   
  
“I have an apartment here. It’s a pretty crappy one. I like it that way. I do some DJing here and there, not often, and like Chloe told you, I’m producing music now. Mostly for up and comers more than anything, but I think some of these kids have serious potential,” she moved her headphones onto the mixing board and looked at Aubrey with a slight smile, “I’m really glad I ran into you. I’ve been regretting not keeping in contact. It’s not like I have a whole lot of friends.”   
  
“I meant to call you, I did, but the longer it was, the more awkward I felt. I thought maybe it’d be better if I didn’t call. How’d we lose touch, anyway?” Aubrey asked curiously, probably not knowing the story as well as Beca did.   
  
“Typical crap I guess. You left and I stayed behind and I just didn’t want to bug you when you were busy starting your new life.”   
  
“No, we stopped talking before I left. Did we have a fight? I don’t remember having a fight.”   
  
“No, we didn’t have a fight,” Beca assured her, taking a swig of her drink and wincing as the alcohol burned her throat, “I was just a dumb kid and I had some feelings and they scared me so I ran away. Typical Beca bullshit. But whatever, you’re here now so apparently I have my second chance.”   
  
Her friendship with Aubrey was something that took her by surprise toward the end of her freshman year. Beca had been bummed out when Aubrey graduated; disappointed that she didn’t get much time to spend with her new friend before she left.   
  
That’s why she was ecstatic when she found out that Aubrey was going to go to law school nearby and stay in the area, sharing an apartment with Chloe indefinitely. That meant neither of her friends were leaving her, and it made managing the Bellas a lot easier since she had their advice to back her up whenever she needed it.   
  
It was her junior year before she realized the extent of her feelings for Aubrey. It was weird how they hated each other at first, but now they were practically inseparable, bonding over their similarities and cherishing their differences.   
  
Beca spent a lot of time at Aubrey and Chloe’s apartment, often sleeping over instead of going back to her dorm room. On that particular night she had intended to sleep on their couch as per usual and found that the furniture was instead occupied by Cynthia Rose, who was in need of a place to stay after her apparently serious fight with Stacie, whom she’d been living with off campus.   
  
Aubrey offered her own bed and Beca accepted without much thought. But lying in the same bed with Aubrey was new territory and it created new sensations, something that startled Beca more than anything. It turned out her friend was prone to tossing and turning throughout the night and she had cuddled up to Beca at one point during her slumber.   
  
Beca, pinned beneath the bigger girl’s body weight, lay there with her heart racing as she realized how close Aubrey was to her. The contact elicited a fluttering sensation in her stomach that she recognized all too well.   
  
After that night and the discovery of her complex feelings for her friend, she stopped hanging out at their place so often, and eventually her friendship with Aubrey had all but ended. During Beca’s senior year, Aubrey moved out of the apartment and relocated back home.   
  
Ever since then they’d rarely spoken except for an occasional random Facebook message here and there.   
  
Beca had just grown used to the situation and figured their friendship was over. It was for the best, anyway, because having romantic feelings for Aubrey was just asking for trouble. Yet here she was, four years later, standing in a DJ booth with the very same girl, her stomach fluttering just as it had so long ago.   
  
“Feelings?”   
  
“I, uh, well, yeah. Man. I really shouldn’t have told you that. Listen, it’s fine, it’s the past, don’t worry about it, okay?” the brunette picked her headphones back up and put them over her ears, concentrating on the mixing board so that she didn’t focus on the way Aubrey was looking at her.   
  
“Aca-scuse me?” Aubrey used the phrase she’d been prone to using during their time at Barden, causing Beca to smile a little, “If it’s in the past, what’s this about a second chance?”   
  
“Damn. You got me. Maybe I’m just drunk already,” she looked down at her barely touched drink and simpered, “It’s stupid. Don’t worry about it.”   
  
Aubrey closed the distance between them, pulling the headphones from the DJ’s ears.  
  
“Hey, careful, those are expensive.”   
  
“Stop dodging the question. You had romantic feelings for me in college? Is that what you’re saying to me right now? And…you never thought to tell me this before?” she sounded upset.   
  
Beca frowned, stammering stupidly.   
  
“I—I—thought it was better if I just stayed away from you.”   
  
“Better for whom?” Aubrey challenged.   
  
“You’re so great at cross-examining people, I bet you’re a bomb ass lawyer,” Beca drawled, trying to dodge the question.   
  
“Better for you, right? Did you ever stop to think how I felt?”   
  
“Well, obviously. You didn’t feel the same. That’s why I stayed away.”   
  
“You can be a real dumbass sometimes, Beca,” Aubrey rolled her eyes, wrapping her fingers in the cord of the younger woman’s headphones, “you should’ve said something.”   
  
“Wow thanks for the insult,” Beca pretended to be hurt even though the edges of her mouth were twitching upward into a smile.   
  
“I’m serious. Here _I_  was thinking you didn’t feel the same. If you only knew how many times Chloe had to console me after everything that happened. Like you just…you disappeared off the face of the earth. You talked to her all the time, but never to me. I thought I did something wrong. I thought you figured out my feelings and that was why you ran away,” she laughed mirthfully, “and it was really the opposite. You figured out your own feelings and ran away.”   
  
“You felt the same way?” she didn’t believe her words, “you’re lying.”   
  
“Why would I lie?”   
  
“I don’t know, to mess with my head.”   
  
“You think I’d do that to you?”   
  
“Maybe.”   
  
“You’re just too insecure to think that anyone would ever like you back. Beca, I’ve been thinking about you every single day for the past four years,” Aubrey breathed, knitting her eyebrows together.   
  
“Then why didn’t you call?” Beca countered her.   
  
“Why didn’t  _you?_ ” she shot back.   
  
“Fair enough,” the brunette chuckled, “so what now?”   
  
“Now…” Aubrey maneuvered herself closer and pushed Beca’s wheeled chair backwards. She climbed onto her lap and kissed her slowly, her tongue sliding into the younger woman’s mouth deliberately.   
  
Beca enjoyed the kiss, but Aubrey tasted like alcohol. God only knew how drunk she was and maybe she didn’t even want this.   
  
Despite how badly Beca had wanted this to happen before, she was hesitant now. She pushed Aubrey away, searching her eyes for an answer, afraid to believe that this could all be true.   
  
“Exactly how drunk are you?” she asked carefully as Aubrey slid off her lap and stood up.   
  
“Not that drunk. I’ve had a few drinks,” Aubrey shrugged, “does it matter? Do you still have feelings for me? Are you with someone now?”   
  
“Of course it matters. I want you to want to kiss me because you really want to, not because you’re drunk and I just happen to be here,” Beca responded, messing with a few dials and turning up the next track, “I still have feelings for you. I don’t get why, it’s been four years. Why can’t I let this shit go?”   
  
“Are you with someone?”   
  
“No.”   
  
“I’m not, either, and if you let me go home with you tonight…I promise you that when I’m sober, I’ll be right there in bed with you, and I’ll kiss you just like I did a second ago,” Aubrey told her, her eyes locking on Beca’s.   
  
“Are you seriously asking to go home with me?” Beca sputtered.   
  
“Mmm. More like begging. And I’m not taking no for an answer.”   
  
She quirked an eyebrow, “So you’re _telling_  me that you’re going home with me, then.”   
  
“Exactly.”   
  
“Oh, okay,” Beca was smirking now at Aubrey’s forwardness, and she gestured to the mixing board in front of her, “I’ve got about twenty minutes left of my set. Why don’t you go back out to your friends, and I’ll meet you after I get my shit packed into the car?”   
  
“How do I know you won’t leave without me?” Aubrey asked with suspicion lacing her voice.   
  
“Scout’s honor,” she held up three fingers, her thumb and pinky crossed over the center.   
  
“You weren’t a scout.”   
  
“I was! A girl scout!” at Aubrey’s eye roll, she laughed, “I really was! If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you. Now go brag to all your friends about how you’re about to hook up with the sexy, badass DJ. I’ll see you soon.”   
  
The blonde took their empty glasses and shot Beca a look that said she’d better be serious. She then gave her a little wave before vacating the booth, leaving the DJ there to finish the rest of her set. Beca got into the zone once again, fueled by the excitement she felt about seeing Aubrey again.   
  
She’d imagined kissing her like that so many times. She’d wondered what it would be like to make love to her, whether she was loud or soft in her sounds of pleasure, whether or not her toes curled at that precise moment and what her face must’ve look like when she reached climax.   
  
She hadn’t imagined it like this. But that’s what it made it so much better. This was reality. And reality was better than imagination any day.   
  
Smiling to herself, she jumped a little when someone appeared in her booth. She was confused when she saw someone she didn’t recognize holding a drink in their hand. Skeptically she looked at the man.   
  
“Uh, no thanks,” she murmured.   
  
“Compliments of…” the man hesitated for a moment, “she said to tell you the drink was from the head aca-bitch and that you’d know what she meant?”   
  
Beca grinned. Aubrey had sent her another drink. She took the drink from the gentleman and thanked him, giving him a tip and taking a lengthy sip from the drink. That was Aubrey’s way of letting her know she’d be there waiting for her.   
  
Once she’d finished up her set, Beca loaded her equipment into her car and returned to the bar to talk to the manager. He handed her a check and she thanked him before getting Aubrey’s attention, motioning for her to come with her. The blonde said something to her friends before she followed behind, getting into the passenger seat of Beca’s car with a confident grin on her lips.   
  
“So we’re really doin’ this, huh?” Beca asked absently as her hands rested on the steering wheel.   
  
“Only if you want to,” Aubrey didn’t want to force her into anything.   
  
“Have you seen yourself lately? You’ve only gotten hotter with time. Of course I want to,” she replied, licking her lips, “it’s just not often I leave a gig with a lady friend in the car.”   
  
Aubrey looked surprised as she slid on her seat belt.   
  
“It isn’t? Well, consider me surprised. And maybe a little relieved.”   
  
“What, you just thought I hooked up with chicks 24/7?” Beca laughed, turning the key in the ignition and looking over at the blonde.   
  
“Maybe you’re not as famous as Chloe makes you out to be. I thought girls would be throwing themselves at you,” Aubrey teased.   
  
“Oh, they do. I just don’t always take them up on the offer.”   
  
“Don’t always? So you do sometimes?”   
  
“Case in point,” she gestured to Aubrey, “and a time or two before this—what? I have needs. I’m only human, Aubrey. Are you trying to tell me you haven’t had a one night stand in the past four years?”   
  
The older woman looked guilty and both of them burst into laughter. Beca pulled the car off the lot and drove toward her apartment, explaining to Aubrey that she should keep her expectations low. She didn’t shell out a lot of cash for the apartment, nor for her car, because she didn’t really care about luxuries.   
  
Beca was saving up her money and had managed to stockpile a good deal of it, in case she ever needed it in the future.   
  
“I’m not doing too badly, either. Lawyers make decent money,” Aubrey offered, fiddling with the radio.   
  
“Chump change,” Beca murmured, but when she saw Aubrey’s dark look, she chuckled, “I’m kidding. I’m sure you make a great living, what, are you trying to convince me to marry you or something?”   
  
“No, I’m just making conversation. Now I’m beginning to remember how much you used to annoy me,” Aubrey growled, still maintaining a smile.   
  
“Yeah, yeah. You love it.”   
  
The silence settled between them as Beca turned onto her street, finding an open spot on the side of the street in front of her apartment complex. She parallel parked effortlessly and turned off the car, gazing over at Aubrey.   
  
“So, are you coming?” Beca asked her.   
  
“I will be,” Aubrey smirked, unclicking her seatbelt and climbing out of the car.   
  
“You dirty bird,” the brunette said as they walked into the apartment complex together, down the carpeted hall toward her familiar door, “I never knew you were such a ho.”   
  
“I’m not a ho. Oh my god! Why would you say that?” she gasped in mock offense.   
  
“Get in here,” Beca demanded as she stepped inside her apartment, grabbing Aubrey by the waist and pulling her inside.   
  
Their lips met more roughly this time, both of them desperate for one another’s touch. Beca felt Aubrey sucking on her bottom lip and she moaned a little against her mouth, moving backwards to close the door. She kicked off her shoes and Aubrey did the same.   
  
Leading Aubrey to the bedroom, Beca unbuttoned her jeans swiftly and slid her tank top over her head. Aubrey shimmied out of her tight red dress and fell backwards onto Beca’s bed, gazing up at her with a withering, daring stare.   
  
“What are you waiting for?”   
  
Pulling down her jeans, Beca climbed onto the bed and on top of Aubrey, pinning her in place with a surprising show of strength. She kissed her as her hand slid down the length of her body, touching her skin and eliciting a soft murmur from Aubrey’s lips.   
  
The younger woman moved her mouth to settle onto her lover’s neck, dragging her teeth along teasingly. She bit down hard but then kissed the bruise, her hand moving to part her thighs.   
  
The intake of breath from Aubrey’s mouth was probably the sexiest thing Beca had ever heard. She allowed her fingers to tease at Aubrey’s entrance through the fabric, her other hand working to remove her bra. Her tongue and mouth explored her breasts once freed, her right hand still moving in a circular motion across the damp material beneath them.   
  
As she heard the woman’s breath quicken, Beca pulled her panties down and replaced her fingers with her tongue.   
  
An immediate groan of appreciation came from the blonde, whose hands were now tangled in Beca’s hair. She pulled tightly as Beca’s tongue flicked across her quickly and teasingly. She squeezed her legs together, putting pressure on the smaller woman’s head as her hips bucked.   
  
Aubrey was definitely loud, Beca mused as she listened to her moans, concentrating on swirling her tongue around inside of her. Her fingers returned to aid her and she moved them in tandem, causing a pleasured reaction from the other woman. Still focusing on her rhythm, Beca’s fingers and tongue worked as a unit to pleasure Aubrey as best as they could, and from the sounds she heard, it was working.   
  
Aubrey’s breaths became more labored the closer she got to climax, her hold on Beca’s hair tightening to the point of slight pain.   
  
But then Aubrey relaxed, letting out a breath she’d apparently been holding, her chest heaving and her forehead glistening with sweat. She lay there paralyzed for a moment, the warm, tingling sensation overtaking her entire body. Beca wiped her mouth and moved to lie beside of her, her arm sliding across Aubrey’s shoulders.   
  
“How’d I do?” she asked with a proud grin.   
  
“Embarrassingly well. No one’s ever made me…like that, so fast, I don’t know…I usually have trouble letting go,” Aubrey admitted quietly, her fingers tapping Beca’s.   
  
“Yeah, I remember,” Beca murmured against her neck, kissing her softly, “so, it was good?”   
  
“Don’t worry; you’ll get your turn. But first,” she stretched and Beca watched her do so, her breasts lifting slightly and her stomach taut, “please tell me you have something in this apartment to eat.”   
  
“You mean besides me?” The brunette quipped, kissing Aubrey’s lips, “yeah, I can rustle up a little something. But only if you’re promising me a little nookie.”   
  
“Of course,” Aubrey laughed, “I’d have to be crazy to pass that up.”


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning was awkward, or so Beca thought. The morning after any hookup was awkward because no one ever knew what to expect. She was pleased to find that Aubrey was still in her bed, though, and hadn’t scurried off early in the morning in shame. That was a good sign.   
  
Beca had gotten up to make breakfast and let Aubrey sleep, even though she rarely had breakfast herself. She was making an effort because she really liked Aubrey and was hoping this could become a regular thing.   
  
Aubrey awoke to the smell of bacon sizzling on the stove, stretching and letting out these moans vaguely reminiscent of those Beca had incited in her last night. The blonde exchanged a look with Beca before gathering up her clothes and slipping them on. She disappeared into the bathroom.   
  
Uncertain of what the morning would bring them, Beca busied herself with setting up two plates and orange juice for their consumption. Aubrey emerged from the bathroom looking fresh.   
  
“Morning,” Beca greeted with a cautious smile.   
  
“Yeah, good morning, thanks for letting me stay over, but I really need to head home. I’ve got a big case I’m working on and I’m already running late,” Aubrey said speedily, approaching the DJ and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, “I’ll call you later.”   
  
Without another look back, Aubrey left the apartment. Beca sat down dejectedly at the kitchen table, swirling her eggs around with the sharp edges of her fork. She sighed. This hadn’t gone at all like she’d wanted, but exactly as she suspected.   
  
Maybe last night had meant more to her than it had to Aubrey. Maybe this whole thing had been a mistake. She glared down at her breakfast, the food only reminding her of how alone she was. Beca covered her face with her hand.   
  
“Mitchell, you idiot, what have you gotten yourself into?” she asked herself.   
  
Beca didn’t bother with eating much of what she’d made, opting to shove the food into a Tupperware container and placing it in the fridge. She got into the shower and thought about the events leading up to this morning. She began doubting herself and figuring that she’d come on too strong. Aubrey had quite a bit to drink last night, maybe that was it—just a fling, nothing more. But the mere thought of being a one night stand to the girl she hadn’t stopped thinking of for years made her stomach turn.   
  
So much for keeping down that bacon.   
  
After cleaning the remnants of her haphazard breakfast from the edge of her shower, Beca got dressed. She was supposed to be at the studio in an hour and a half, due to record with this up and coming female rapper. She considered calling off work but knew that it would be unprofessional, and she’d worked hard to build her stellar reputation.   
  
Beca was halfway into a terrible made-for-TV movie when her cell phone went off. She dug through the couch cushions to find it and barely answered it in time.   
  
“Hello?”   
  
“Hi, Beca, it’s Chloe.”   
  
She was the last person Beca was expecting a call from. She couldn’t help but wonder exactly what this call was about.   
  
“Hey, Chloe, haven’t talked to you in a couple weeks. What’s up?” Beca asked hesitantly.   
  
“I’m gonna cut right to the chase because I figure you’re a busy woman and all, but I talked to Aubrey a little bit ago. She told me that she stayed over at your place last night and that you two…had relations.”   
  
“Yeah, um, we did. She was acting really weird this morning, she basically ran out on me.”   
  
“Beca, I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but Aubrey has a really hard time trusting people,” Chloe explained rapidly, “she hasn’t had the best of luck in her love life, and she’s had serious feelings for you for a long time. I think seeing you again and all the alcohol she had made her stupid, because Aubrey doesn’t normally just take off and stay at someone’s apartment. You’re my friend, and I love you, but I swear to god if you hurt her I will kill you myself. I had to pick up the pieces once, and I’ll be damned if I have to do it again.”   
  
“What? Are you serious right now?” Beca was getting that speech from Chloe?   
  
“Dixie Chicks serious. I don’t know what your intentions are or your feelings, but Aubrey had it bad for you and I’m sure this is bringing up a whole barrel of emotions for her. I think you should cool it and give her some time to think about all this. She’ll talk to you when she’s ready.”   
  
“Uh. Okay…” Beca murmured, taken aback from this whole conversation, “I’ve had feelings for Aubrey for years, Chloe, and they haven’t gone away. I’m in the same boat as she is. I didn’t anticipate going home with her last night, but she begged me to take her here, so I did. One thing led to another and…I don’t want to hurt her. If she wanted, I’d make things official between us, but we haven’t even had the chance to talk about it. I was going to try to ease her into it this morning but she spouted off some bullshit about having to be at work for this big case.”   
  
“That wasn’t bullshit, she’s working on something huge right now, and this client is paying out the wazoo. It could mean some serious cash for her if she does it right,” Chloe told her earnestly, “I have no doubt about how Aubrey feels about you, but I also know that she’s probably really overwhelmed right now.”   
  
“So she called you and asked you to tell me this or something?” Beca wondered.   
  
“No, she called me and said you guys hooked up. And she said she was scared because she loves you, and she’s not sure that you want the same things as she does,” Chloe clarified, stopping when she realized that she’d revealed too much, “I don’t think her intention was for me to call you, but you know how I can be sometimes.”   
  
“Pushy.”   
  
“Yeah…but in an endearing way, right?”   
  
“I guess. Alright, Chlo, thanks for calling me. I’ll give her a few days and call her then.”   
  
Beca pressed the end call button and pocketed her cell phone, jerked from her thoughts when she realized the time she’d just read off her screen. She needed to be at the studio like ten minutes ago!   
  
Rushing through the apartment she found her keys on the bedside table and hurried out to get a cab. She made it to the studio late, but thankfully before the artist, who was apparently also running late. Beca threw herself into her work, barely allowing herself to think about Aubrey.   
  
Around dinner time her phone went off, and Beca anxiously glanced at it, wondering if she was about to receive another startling threat from her favorite redhead. Instead it was a text from Aubrey.   
  
 » Just got off work, can we talk?   
  
« If you want. I’ll even share my pizza.   
  
Beca smiled to herself, because after Chloe’s foreboding phone call she thought she wouldn’t hear from Aubrey for a while.   
  
 » Tempting, but I’m trying to stick to my diet. You at the apartment?   
  
« Yup. Do you remember how to get here?   
  
 » I think so. I’ll call you if I get lost.   
  
She didn’t get a phone call, so Beca assumed Aubrey found her way okay. This assumption was confirmed when Aubrey rang to be let into the apartment. Beca pushed the button and waited for the girl to appear at her door.   
  
It didn’t take long at all, actually. Aubrey managed to get upstairs way faster than she ever did, and Beca opened the door and stared at her bemusedly.   
  
“What, did you run up here or something? That was wicked fast,” Beca commented.   
  
“As a matter of fact, yes,” Aubrey stepped in, not as jovial as last night by any means.   
  
“Always finding an excuse for the cardio.”   
  
“These things are important to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, Beca, not that you’d know anything about that,” Aubrey’s eyes traveled to the half empty pizza box lying on the couch, “Listen, I think last night was probably a huge mistake.”   
  
Beca would have made a snarky comment about Aubrey’s healthy lifestyle, but any thoughts of a snide remark were cut short by the girl’s admission that what had happened between them wasn’t right. She swallowed hard, looking down and not saying anything in response.   
  
She could feel Aubrey’s gaze burning into her.   
  
“We’re both very busy with work and our lives and maybe right now isn’t the best time to try to have a relationship,” Aubrey explained, “besides, you and I are very different, not just in our personalities but in our life styles, and I’m not sure that we could work together well as a couple. It would probably be more trouble than it’s worth.”   
  
Beca gasped, disagreeing with everything she’d said.   
  
“If we keep waiting for the best time to have a relationship, then you and I both will die alone. And Aubrey, not dating because you’re scared we’re too different is stupid. Yeah, we’re different, but that’s why I’m so attracted to you. We can make compromises when we need to. I’ve regret walking away all this time and now that I have a second chance, I’m not letting you go,” she promised, stepping forward and taking Aubrey’s hands in her own, “just tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it. Just don’t walk out on this, on us.”   
  
Aubrey pulled her hands away and shook her head.   
  
“I just don’t think this is a good idea, Beca. I’m sorry, but it isn’t right.”   
  
Beca laughed bitterly, “You’re afraid of getting hurt, aren’t you?”   
  
“Is that what you want to hear? Of course I am. You’re not exactly the warmest of people, Beca. You have a tendency to put up walls and you’ve run away more times than I could count. You ran out on the Bellas, you ran out on me, who’s to say you won’t do it again?” Aubrey asked her, “Who’s to say you’re not your father’s daughter?”   
  
“Don’t. You don’t get to say that, Aubrey.  _I’m_ not the warmest of people? You treated Chloe like your puppet the whole time you were at Barden. Your walls are so much thicker than mine are, and you might not have run away, but you never had to. You distance yourself too much to ever have the luxury of running away,” Beca sounded hurt by Aubrey’s words, “And you know as well as I do what it’s like having father issues, so don’t even start with that. You know what I think? I think it’s not how different we are that scares you. I think it’s how much we have in common. But I let my walls down last night, Aubrey. I could have ran away, but I let you come home with me. I’m baring my heart to you now. The very least you could do is the same.”  
  
“I wish I could,” Aubrey choked out, steadying herself against the wall, “but it’s not that easy for me.”   
  
“Then what are we doing? I’m not just going to sleep with you and pretend it doesn’t mean anything. I love you, Aubrey, and I want to be with you. For real.”   
  
“How do I know you mean that? How do I know you won’t change your mind?”   
  
“I do mean it. I don’t think I’m going to change my mind,” Beca stepped toward her again, hoping she was getting through to her, “But the thing about love is, even if you’re uncertain, even if there’s a chance you’ll get hurt, you should be willing to take that risk. Because love is worth it. That’s what I realized, and that’s why I’m here right now with you. If I hadn’t been willing to take that risk I wouldn’t have let you come home with me last night. I would’ve just walked away. But I let you in again, and no, it wasn’t easy, but damn it, Aubrey, you have to let me in, too.”   
  
Both of them had tears in their eyes.   
  
“Beca,” Aubrey said her name through her tears and she swallowed, putting her fist up to her mouth as if she was holding back the vomit threatening to escape her mouth.   
  
Beca, realizing what this meant, pushed her toward the bathroom and shut the door. She could hear Aubrey heaving over the toilet and she went to the kitchen to get a glass of water and a container of Pepto-Bismol. She opened the bathroom door cautiously and looked at Aubrey, who was wiping her mouth with a washcloth.   
  
“I’m sorry, god, I’m a mess,” the blonde apologized tearfully, thanking Beca and flushing the toilet, putting the seat down and plopping onto it as she sipped the water, “I don’t get why you even want to be with me. You’re this badass music producer slash DJ and here I am, an uptight lawyer with a tendency to stress vomit. I’ll never be good enough for you.”   
  
Beca smiled despite it all, leaning against the counter. Even with her face pale and her chest heaving from vomiting moments ago, Aubrey looked beautiful.   
  
“You’re not the one who gets to decide that. I think you’re amazing. If I could be half as disciplined as you, I’d be making loads more money than I am. I always wished I was more like you and less like me,” Beca heard Aubrey laugh, “I’m serious, you’re laughing but I’m serious. You’re so dedicated, you give everything your all, and I really admire that about you. Just please, give us a try.”   
  
“I just threw up in your toilet and you’re asking me to be your girlfriend?” Aubrey chuckled.   
  
“Just say yes.”   
  
“Okay. I mean—yes.”


	3. Chapter 3

Beca and Aubrey had been dating for six months now. They made time to see each other between their busy and sometimes conflicting work schedules, taking turns spending the night at each other’s apartments, and occasionally springing for a hotel.   
  
The relationship was going remarkably well, they hadn’t had many fights thus far. Their biggest fight had been when Aubrey had become jealous of one of the musical artists that Beca was working with, a barely legal but massively talented and ridiculously attractive young woman.   
  
This girl had requested Beca to produce her album, which meant some serious revenue if her music hit it big. With her image and talent, Beca had no doubt that this girl would get some airplay and become the next hit thing. This is why she threw herself into the work, determined to get every aspect of the album perfect, and she spent more time at the studio than ever before.   
  
Aubrey noticed this, and she let her anger and jealousy build up until one night when she exploded on Beca, calling her at four am and screaming at her so loud that she thought she’d ruptured her eardrum.   
  
But they got through the fight and were just as strong as ever. Despite the relationship going well, Beca wasn’t happy with how things were going. She wanted more. Six months was a significant benchmark, and she wanted their relationship to become more serious.   
  
Even if Aubrey could just make a little room in her dresser for some of Beca’s clothes and get a toothbrush for her, which would signify that she was serious about this. But she kept hinting at it and Aubrey didn’t seem to take the hint that Beca was getting so sick of toting her bag back and forth with her things.   
  
She wasn’t able to relax at Aubrey’s because she had to worry about having enough stuff with her, and eventually would have to return to her apartment to get some more clothes.   
  
What Beca really wanted was for them to move in together, but if Aubrey didn’t seem interested in merely keeping a few things around for Beca to use, she probably wouldn’t even consider them living together.   
  
This had been weighing on her mind for a few days now, and Aubrey was coming over to her place for a change. Although she claimed she had nothing against Beca’s apartment, Aubrey usually made her come over instead.   
  
Beca figured that her girlfriend didn’t like her apartment’s location, which was close to the bad part of town, and many of her neighbors seemed to be drug addicts. She didn’t mind, though, it provided an interesting environment and she felt safe enough.   
  
Aubrey was on her way over when Beca decided to take some initiative. She packed away some of her clothes and made room, enough for Aubrey to have the usage of half of her dresser and closet. She opened up the toothbrush she’d bought at the store and put a bottle of her girlfriend’s preferred shampoo in the shower.   
  
When Aubrey pushed the button, Beca buzzed her in and then splayed herself onto the couch.   
  
Aubrey came inside carrying an overnight bag and sat it down near the door, closing it behind her and joining the brunette on the comfortable couch. Even she had to admit the couch was remarkably comfortable, even if it wasn’t the best to look at with its bright plaid pattern.   
  
“Hey, babe,” Aubrey greeted, leaning over to kiss Beca’s cheek.   
  
Beca turned her head and caught her off guard, kissing her on the lips and wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug.   
  
“Hey, I missed you,” she told her, nuzzling her head into Aubrey’s neck.   
  
“Missed you, too,” the blonde responded.   
  
She pulled away a bit and Beca sighed, her blue eyes searching her girlfriend’s as her hand moved to find hers. She seemed bothered by something.   
  
“What’s wrong?” Beca asked worriedly.   
  
“Oh, nothing, just this case I’m working on—my boss is really getting on my back about it, and I’ve heard some things around the office, that he doesn’t think I can handle this and I guess he said some really sexist shit about me, and I’m really kind of pissed off. I can handle this and way more, I’m a better fucking lawyer than anyone else at that office!” Aubrey got a little heated.   
  
Not really knowing what to say, especially since she knew next to nothing about Aubrey’s career and what it entailed, Beca shrugged.   
  
“Well, you are super good at arguing,” Aubrey gave her an unamused look, “I didn’t mean it like that. You’re just powerful and controlling, not in a bad way, but just like you were running the Bellas, you have a commanding presence, so I imagine you’re really awesome in the courtroom. Plus you’re detail oriented and intelligent, so you work really hard to make sure all the points in your case are correct, I’m sure. It sounds like this guy is just a douche.”   
  
“Thanks, Bec,” the older woman said softly, “he really is, but he’s my boss and I’m just gonna have to deal with him,” she sighed, “So how’s your work going?”   
  
“Pretty well, we lay down the final version of the last track tomorrow. The demo was good and all, but it was missing a beat and it sounds a lot better, we’re also putting in some background vocals. So I’m going to record those myself. In a few months you might be hearing me singing in the background on the radio,” Beca explained with a smile.   
  
Aubrey nodded, “That’s really great. The girl happy with what you’ve done together?”   
  
“Well, the record label seems pleased, and all the reps we’ve talked with do, too. The demos have gone over really well. It’s her second album, but the first wasn’t really well known and she got dropped from her label due to some bullshit, so…this is a real effort to put her on the charts. So I think she’ll be happy with the final result. I know I will be, it’s probably my best work yet,” she admitted proudly.   
  
“Are you going to be seeing her again after the album’s finished?”   
  
“What? I don’t know. There might be a press thing or two we end up doing together to promote the album. Since my name’s gotten fairly well known it could provide an edge for her if we did some interviews together, we might have one lined up for Rolling Stone if we can ride this buzz when the single drops,” Beca realized Aubrey’s expression and she became flabbergasted, “oh, you—not like that, though. Aubrey, she’s just an artist I’m producing an album for, that’s all. It’s like we hang out in our free time. I’ve never even seen her outside of the studio besides our initial meeting. Besides, she’s a child. I’m not remotely interested in her; I’ve got the sexiest, coolest, smartest, most badass lawyer girlfriend around.”   
  
The corners of Aubrey’s lips turned upward into a semblance of a smile, and she quirked an eyebrow.   
  
“Is that so?”   
  
“Yup. Oh, I wanted to show you something,” Beca said suddenly, jumping up from the couch and pulling Aubrey with her.   
  
She led her to the bathroom first, showing her the toothbrush and the shampoo.   
  
“Oh, thanks, Beca, that’ll be nice not to have to lug those around with me every time I spend the night here,” she seemed pleased.   
  
Beca smirked, “I’m not done,” she stated, leading her into the bedroom to see the space she’d created for some of her things.   
  
Aubrey leaned against the dresser and stared at the half-empty closet before turning back to Beca.   
  
“Where are your clothes?” she wondered, referring to the clothes that had been packed away to make the room for her own.   
  
“I packed away the stuff I don’t wear anymore. I made room for you to leave some stuff here, you know, if you want. So you don’t have to carry a bag here every time you stay over,” Beca replied with a smile, fishing something from her pocket and handing it to Aubrey.   
  
It was a shiny new key. A key to her apartment.   
  
“What’s this?”   
  
“A key to the apartment…” she thought it had seemed pretty self-explanatory.   
  
“I thought you weren’t supposed to make a copy of it, though.”   
  
“What the landlord doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Beca grinned, her face falling a little when Aubrey put the key down on the dresser.   
  
“Are you asking me to move in with you? Because I really don’t think that’s a good idea right now.”   
  
“Well—why? I mean, I was just trying to make more room for you and make you more comfortable so you’ll feel more at home here; it wouldn’t hurt if you’d do something like that for me. But I was hoping you and I could take this relationship to the next level, you know. I could move in with you or you with me, or we could get a place together, and I don’t know a fish or a cat or something, we can see each other more and not have to run back and forth. We’ve been together six months, Bree. I want this to be a serious relationship,” Beca indicated with a sigh.   
  
“We’ve only been together six months. It’s not that long, and it is a serious relationship. Can’t we be serious without making it that serious? Moving in together is a big commitment, and I’ve never lived with anyone, except Chloe. I’d rather things stay the way they are for now, if that’s okay,” Aubrey tried to explain; afraid this would start a fight.   
  
Beca dropped down onto her bed and crossed her arms to her chest.   
  
“But why? I understand if that’s how you feel but you didn’t explain why you feel that way. You love me, right? And we’re happy together? There’s nothing stopping us from getting a place of our own. It would make everything so much easier.”   
  
“Of course I love you, and I’m happy, but I’m not ready for that. I like having my place and you having yours. I like looking forward to seeing you, instead of being around you all the time. I like having my thing and you having yours. I need that right now. Maybe after things settle down with my job, we can start looking for a place, in a couple months, but not right now. I can’t handle the stress of finding a new place and moving on top of everything I’m already dealing with,” Aubrey checked Beca’s expression to make sure she wasn’t still visibly upset, “That’s all I mean. It’s nothing against you. You know how I feel about you. And I promise that we’ll get there. But not yet, okay? Please, just a few more months of this.”   
  
After Aubrey was done explaining her reasoning, Beca nodded with a slight smile on her lips.   
  
It meant a lot to her that her girlfriend would share how she felt like this, when it wasn’t always the easiest thing for her to do. But Aubrey had done just as Beca asked and even though she was ready, she had to respect the fact that her girlfriend wasn’t.   
  
The brunette gestured for Aubrey to come to her and she obeyed, falling onto Beca’s lap and wrapping her arms around her neck to steady her. Without a word their lips met, slow and deliberate like honey emerging from a bottle.   
  
Their eyes snapped shut as their tongues slid against each other, melting against one another’s touch. Beca’s hands settled onto Aubrey’s waist and she let herself fall back, her girlfriend crashing against her.   
  
Aubrey repositioned herself and straddled her, kissing her more desperately, frenzied in her struggle to pull off Beca’s clothes.   
  
“So, we’re good, right?” Aubrey asked as her fingers trailed across Beca’s stomach, her lips not far behind them.   
  
“Mmm, we’re good, Bree, we’re—” her breath caught in her throat when she felt her girlfriend’s fingers slip beneath the waistband of her loose fitting pants, “good.”   
  
She let out a long breath followed by a pleasured gasp once Aubrey’s fingers slid into her. Beca closed her eyes and allowed herself to feel, the other woman’s long, slender fingers working to please her. Her chest rose and fell as Aubrey continued to work her center.   
  
A moan came from her lips when the dedicated blonde’s mouth joined her fingers in their charade, her tongue gliding expertly across her anatomy, flicking her clit and causing her to cry out in pleasure.   
  
Searching for something to hold on to, Beca’s hands tangled roughly in her girlfriend’s hair and her hips rolled as she found herself nearing climax.   
  
“Aubrey,” she whispered after her shattering orgasm, her forehead damp with sweat.   
  
Aubrey grinned and kissed her lovingly, curling up beside of her in the bed and pulling her head to her chest. She mentioned ordering some food for delivery and Beca immediately agreed, groaning when her girlfriend slid away from her for a moment to get the phone.   
  
She listened to Aubrey make their typical order and then welcomed her back to the bed, pulling her close and settling onto her chest again, listening to her favorite beat in the world, Aubrey’s heartbeat.   
  
“So, we’re really doing this, huh? In a few months, we’ll be moving in together,” Beca murmured happily.   
  
“I’ll win the case, your record will be number one, we’ll be filthy rich and we’ll buy a house,” Aubrey added, licking her lips, “then, maybe a dog. Or do you like cats more?”   
  
Beca considered the question.   
  
“We could get both?” she offered, unable to choose.   
  
“Both is good.”

 


End file.
